Session 1 - The Contract
After finishing a security job for an ale merchant during the Festival of Excelsion, the motley mercenary crew were ready for a change. Half-elf bard Vanyel (PC of Aharon), human fighter-ranger Kiyambe (PC of Sean), dwarf monk Marcia (PC of Megan), human monk Mordecai (PC of Drew) and human warlock Wiley (PC of Kenny) had just received their orders from the elven Minister of Foreign Affairs and Commissioner of Gnomish Society & Technologies Research Commission. The contract set out a mission to investigate a lost gnomish society and to bring back as many artifacts, schematics and technologies. Rob the city blind, the group decided. Mordecai and Wiley hung around the tavern of their inn while Marcia meditated and prepared herself for the journey ahead. The city was only just recovering from the Festival. After the festival, their employer, Lionel Reid of Victor, made Vanyel and Kiyambe wash some graffiti off his manor’s inner wall, probably done by some urchin who'd snuck onto his grounds. They recalled seeing the phrase, “THICKET HAS SEEN WHAT YOU’VE DONE” scrawled on a number of walls in Victor. Kiyambe had also overheard a conversation of Lionel with his business associates while they were lunching in the garden. They were speaking in hushed tones about rebellious peasants in town, angry New Church of Apexion worshippers, monster attacks on farmers, goblin activity in the south, orc activity in the east. That, plus the revelation that Lord Leonitus of Port-of-Utopia declaring himself king of Malex and seceding from the Directorate. Not good for business. Vanyel, a courtier and agent of the Directorate, and Kiyambe, a foreign warrior on a personal quest to Malex, decided to investigate the little travelled Southern Hinterlands and the Bone Wastes. They searched the records of the Victor Magistrate Palace, but turned up little more than some scout reports of the Hinterlands. Apparently elves had never attempted to scout the Bone Wastes, the belief was that no one who entered the Bone Wastes returned. The mercenaries convened and decided to visit their contract liaison in Victor, High Secretariat Maiquis of House Aleaundlin. They returned to the Magisterial Palace and inquired with an elven clerk named Doloraes, who explained that if they'd completed their contract, she could bring them directly to the High Secretariat, otherwise his next available appointment was in two weeks, for ten minutes after lunch. Wiley helped Mordecai convince her that they'd completed the contract, and sent her along to inquire if he was free. She returned a short while later, looking nervous, and explained that the High Secretariat, respectfully, told them to get lost. Vanyel recalled that Maiquis had a less than savoury reputation, and the group worried that when they eventually reported to him, he'd screw them out of their payment. Afterwards, Vanyel drew up a shopping list of supplies. They went to the Silver and Bronze ring and easily found mundane supplies like camping gear, mirrors, a lantern, the like. Kiyambe was convinced they would need fishing gear on the quest, and eventually got ripped off by a toothless fisherman on the docks. Explaining their quest and with Mordecai's silver tongue they convinced a healer to part with an expensive healing kit for a deal. The group ran into some trouble when they were directed to the New Church of Apexion chapel just outside of town to buy a climbing kit from a retired adventurer. Vanyel said they were working for the Directorate, and the craftsman grew surly and explained he wouldn't take Vanyel's money. Marcia grew angry at the discrimination and a couple of New Church warriors grew suspicious of the group, and harassed her. Kiyambe and Mordecai stepped in, avoiding bloodshed. Eventually they talked the man down a little gold and got their climbing kit. Last stop was a dwarven blacksmith, Hildegarde, who took commissions to work on magic weapons. That kind of work on armour and weapons would take weeks, but they noticed she had what appeared to be a magical longsword hanging in a display case above her equipment. Always interested in a good story, Kiyambe asked after it, and she explained it was her first masterwork, made with skills passed down by the blacksmith caste. Inquiring if it was for sale, she explained that it meant a great deal to her, but she'd part with it for quite a lot of gold. The group left disapponted, but Kiyambe turned around and returned to the blacksmith, explaining his quest and that he'd pay 300 gold pieces up front and the rest when he returns. She considered the request, and then said she'd have a contract drawn up for the evening, to be signed with a dwarven witness, warning the warrior with the adage, "A dwarf's word is gold." Kiyambe asked Marcia and Vanyel to return as his witnesses. Marcia was grumpy, eager to get the journey started and explained she didn't know much of the way of dwarves, being raised in a mostly human monastery, but they agreed. The terms set out explained that Kiyambe would have a year to repay her. If he failed to do so, or if he died, she would have the sword collected without recompense. The latter would require no violence, the former would enable her to hire assassin caste dwarves to kill him for the trouble and collect her property. They signed in blood, witnessed, and Kiyambe left with a new magical longsword. After spending the night drinking heavily, Mordecai was dragged out of bed by his companions and they crossed the Victory River to travel southward towards the Hinterlands. At first the area was heavily forested, but the further south they went the terrain became into rockier, sparser moors, the western extremity of the Hadriaca Highlands. At first they passed a couple of abandoned settlements and homesteads, but by the fourth day there was no road to speak of or sign of civilization and they were left to find their way by navigation. Fortunately their research and Kiyambe's survival skills, along with the group's work, let them avoid mishaps or danger and they had a few uneventful days of travel. On the seventh evening, however, they found themselves camping at the base of a low bank. Late in the night, while Marcia was on watch, she heard the snapping of a leaf and woke her companions as five hideously deformed goblins ambushed their camp. The fighting was fierce as Kiyambe whipped about two longswords, Wiley lobbed off energy spells and Vanyel used his bardic magic to attempt to sway the battle and help his companions. Mordecai and Marcia, ever competitive, demonstrated their martial prowess, although Marcia landed fewer hit than she would have liked. Eventually the goblin leader sounded a retreat before being viciously cut down by Kiyambe. The mercenaries gave pursuit and took down the other four. Searching the bodies, Vanyel was able to make out the goblinoid sigil that read "Felsic Combine" on each of the goblin rucksacks. Wiley and Kiyambe examined the deformations, but couldn't get much other than they might have been had a magical cause. The group continued on the next day and eventually spotted something in the distance that broke the terrain. It appeared to be a structure the size of a small house, with several humanoids milling about it. As they approached they saw that it was a band of goblins lead by a hideous, robed and armoured orc were climbing about the enormous metal structure. The structure looked almost like a large, iron beetle with two claws and six legs. The structure was rusted and dented in places, but seemed solidly built. The goblins had set up camp nearby and were climbing all over it, examining every inch of it with the orc looking on, grumbling commands. ACTIVE QUESTS -travel to the Hinterlands to search for the gnomish vehicle -travel to Galwan G'don -report back to the Victor liaison with their findings